Surviving Colic
Surviving Colic
Before colic affected my second baby at two weeks of age, I had heard very little about it and how common it actually was. Having no reason to believe baby number two would be any different to my first, the persistent crying in the evenings came as quite a shock. Quickly taking hold and causing me as his main caregiver suffering with anxiety, feelings of failure and very isolated from others.
At no point during antenatal or postnatal care was I made aware of the possibility my new baby could be affected by colic, let alone what it was and how to cope with caring for a colicky baby. I remember the high pitched cry and how distressed I felt as I tried relentlessly to soothe and comfort by beautiful baby, who was clearly in pain. I naively thought at first he was feeling unwell or I had eaten something that hadn't agreed with him, as i was breastfeeding. However, the days went on and the crying became prolonged. Every evening from 5pm to 11pm he was unhappy, grizzly and crying. He was not comforted by being nursed, rocked, walked or burped and despite every effort to ease the crying, it continued until he fell asleep. After seeking advice from the health visitor and desperately researching his symptoms on Google, I was introduced to 'Colic'. And although I finally had a label for his symptoms, I was given very little advice to cope with and or ease his pain.
After doing my own research I decided to take the following steps:
Diet - I decided to cut out dairy from my diet as some research suggests that babies can be sensitive to cow's milk, causing tummy pain. I also avoided gassy foods such as; baked beans, sprouts, broccoli, fizzy drinks etc.
Cranial Osteopathy - Once a week i took baby to have subtle treatment on his head to ease and release tension.
Baby Massage - I used a rigid baby massage routine to help release wind and soothe tummy pain.
It is safe to say that none of these steps completely solved his symptoms straight away, but they did help. It can take up to 3 weeks to eliminate cow's milk protein from breastmilk, during this time baby massage eased his pain, relieved wind and reduced crying.
Colic usually peaks at around 8 weeks and stops at around 16 weeks. This can feel a million miles away during the early days and most advice only assures Mother's what their baby is experiencing is more or less normal. I personally did not find this useful and after baby number three started showing the signs of colic, baby massage became my survival tool.
Baby Massage has loads of benefits for both you and your baby including:
- Aiding digestion
- Improving circulation
- Easing wind and tummy pain
- Help to bond with baby
- Stay relaxed and sleep better
I can honestly say that baby massage helped me to survive colic, both babies benefited from regular treatment and I felt empowered to soothe their pain.
If you think your baby is suffering with colic, speak to your GP or health visitor. For Their Future offers baby massage at home teaching to parents in Worcestershire, specifically designed to easy tummy pain. Head to www.fortheirfuture.co.uk to enquire or book.
